Level



UNITED STATES ATEN'T OFFICE.

THOMAS F. DECK, or SWANTON, OHIO.

LEVEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 573,211, dated December 15, 1896. Applicatio filed March 21,1s9a1 Serial No. 584,266. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS F. DEcK, of Swanton, in the county of Fulton and State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved Level, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved level which is simple and durable in construction and arranged to antomatically indicate horizontal and vertical positions and the angle of deviation when placed out of a horizontal position.

The invention consists principally of a shaft mounted to turn on friction-rollers and carrying a weight and a pointer.

The invention also consists of certain parts and details and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claim.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improvement with parts broken out. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the dial. Fig. 4 is a face view of one of the friction-rollers. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the same, and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the weighted shaft.

The improved level is provided with a stock A, made of wood or other suitable material and formed at or near its middle and on both faces with recesses A and A connected with each other by a transverse bore A as will be readily understood by reference to Fig. 2. In the central bore A extends centrally a transverse shaft B, carrying at its middle a downwardly-extending Weight 0, preferably made in the shape of a segment, as plainly shown in Fig. 6, and secured in place on the shaft by a screw C.

On the reduced ends B and B of the shaft B are held the pointers D D, respectively, both preferably alike in construction and each provided at its free end with an aperture D adapted to register with (lots E forming a graduation E on the dial E or E, respectively, secured to the stock in the recesses A A as is plainly shown in Fig. 2.

It will be seen that by the arrangement described the opening D forms a sight for accurately reading the graduation-marks E on the graduation of the corresponding dial E or E. The sight-opening D is preferably about twice the size of the dots and the latterare preferably made of a diflt'erent color to that of the pointer.

The shaft B is journaled at or near its reduced ends on sets of friction-rollers F, the shafts F of which are mounted to rotate with their inner ends in bearing-plates G G and at their outer ends in suitable hearings in the I dials'E E, respectively. The bearing-plates G and G are fitted within the bore A and are separated from each other by an annular rim G cast on one of the bearing-plates and forming a seat for the bearing-plate, as plainly indicated in Fig. l.

The bearing-plates G and the dial E are separated from each other by' an annular flange G formed on the front face of the glass covers H II, resting on annular flanges E formed 011 the front faces of the dials E E, as shown in Fig. 2. The glass covers are in turn held in place by apertured face-plates I, secured to the stock and set in recesses therein, as indicated in Fig. 2.

In order to hold the several parts together, I provide screws J, extending through the dials E E and the annular flanges G G G of the bearing-plates G G, as indicated in Fig. 2.

In order to prevent lateral movement of the shaft B, I provide each reduced end with a central point B abutting against the inner faces of the glass covers H II, respectively, so that the shaft cannot move transversely, andat the same time frictional contact between the points 13 and the glass covers is reduced to a minimum.

Now it willbe seen that when the level is used either in a horizontal or vertical position it will readily indicate by the pointers D D the proper horizontal or plumb position or any degree of deviation from either of said positions. As the friction of the movable parts is reduced to a minimum, it is evident that the weight 0 will readily respond to any change of position of the stock, so that the pointers indicate accurately the degrees on the graduations E of the dials E E.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- A level comprising a stock having a transverse bore and recesses at opposite sides of THOMAS F. DECK.

Witnesses:

JOHN REGERWALL, GEORGE W. HUMPHREY. 

